Egypt calls for unified arab, european efforts to stop war in Gaza

CAIRO - 27 May 2024: The Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry participated on May 27 in Brussels in a joint meeting of the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council with several Arab foreign ministers and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, said Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson and Director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting was held to discuss the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and explore joint actions between the Arab and European sides to address its repercussions.

The spokesperson noted that Shoukry emphasized in his speech the necessity for coordinated Arab and European actions in light of the critical current situation regarding the Palestinian issue and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

He stressed the importance of upholding human values and human rights, intervening to stop the Israeli war against Gaza, and ensuring the protection of the Palestinian people.

Shoukry highlighted that the situation in Gaza, with an unprecedented rise in the number of martyrs exceeding 35,000, mostly women and children, places all international parties before their legal and humanitarian responsibilities and what history will record about the international community's standards in handling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Minister Shoukry pointed out that since the start of the crisis, Israel has continued its systematic policies of targeting civilians, tightening the siege, and starving Palestinians in Gaza.

He referenced UN reports that contain alarming data on the near-total collapse of civilian services and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, alongside the discovery of mass graves, signaling the scale of the gross humanitarian catastrophe faced by civilians in the area and the extent of the crimes committed against them.

In a related context, Shoukry expressed his shock and regret that some countries still fail to adequately condemn Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law and do not support holding the perpetrators accountable. He emphasized the need for the international community to overcome the current stalemate and take decisive positions to stop the fighting throughout Gaza and save the lives of innocent Palestinian civilians.

Shoukry reaffirmed Egypt's steadfast commitment to ensuring the full and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and relief supplies to Palestinians in Gaza.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, Egypt has undertaken the opening of the Rafah crossing to allow aid entry, conducted airlift efforts, and received wounded Palestinians, facilitating the establishment of field hospitals and shelters to alleviate the suffering of displaced individuals within the Gaza Strip.

Minister Shoukry also stressed the international community's legal and humanitarian responsibilities to fully implement the relevant UN and Security Council resolutions concerning the Israeli war on Gaza, including Security Council Resolution 2720. This includes the necessity to activate the UN mechanism to coordinate, monitor, and facilitate the delivery of aid to Gaza.

The Foreign Minister addressed the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza following the expansion of Israeli military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah and around the Rafah crossing. He reiterated the warning about the severe humanitarian consequences of this situation and its impact on the foundations of peace and stability in the region.

He called on the European Union to urge Israel to abandon its systematic policies aimed at creating an uninhabitable reality in Gaza and to implement the International Court of Justice's rulings for the immediate cessation of Israeli military operations. He emphasized Egypt's outright rejection of attempts to displace Palestinians from their land and undermine the land-for-peace principle.

In conclusion, Minister Shoukry reaffirmed that Israel bears full legal responsibility for the humanitarian and security situations in Gaza and the West Bank under international law, as the occupying power.

He demanded that Israel immediately cease its war against Gaza, refrain from using its control over crossings as a tool to tighten the siege and starve the Palestinian people, and open the Rafah crossing and all land crossings between Israel and Gaza.

He also called for providing safe conditions for international relief teams to receive and distribute aid in Gaza.

In his final remarks, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Shoukry urged all European Union member states to recognize the State of Palestine. This step is crucial for implementing international legitimacy decisions based on the two-state solution and supporting the peace process to achieve a just and comprehensive solution between Palestinians and Israelis.

He called for adopting serious measures to ensure the Palestinian people's right to establish their independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, to live in peace and security alongside Israel.